Improvement in rotary engines



No' 2 0,231 ll @.A/ Patented 00L 24, 1871- JM.

- 4 V n eJ www gl il G. 2-1- j ummm UivTTaLs STATES PATENT Grauen.'

JOHN W. BARRIGER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

IMPROVEMENT INROTARV ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 120,231, dated October 24, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WV. BARRIGER, 'of Omaha, in thecounty of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Steam-Engine, and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the artto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l represents a face View, partly in section, of my improved rotary engine with the head removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same taken on the plane of the line a x, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an outer-face view of the head of the engine. Fig. ais an inner-face view of the same. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the engine taken on the plane of the line y y, Fin, 8.

imilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improved rotary engine of that class in which a rotary cylinder, provided with adjustable sliding pistons, is arranged within a cylindrical case; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangeinent of parts hereinafter described, in connection with others forming the complete or operative engine and specifically stated in the claims.

A in the drawing represents the cylindrical case of my improved engine, made of suitable size, and supported by a substantial frame or standard, B, whereby it is held stationary. C is the central shaft or axle of the engine. It hangs on the heads c and b of the case A, and supports within the case the rotary cylinder D. This cylinder is concentric with and smaller than the inner diameter of the case, leaving an annular space, c, around it. The cylinder D is firmly mounted upon the shaft, to rotate with the same. The annular space o is divided into two equal steam-tight compartlnents by two abutments, d and e, which project toward the cylinder from the inner circumference of the case, being dia` metricall y opposite each other, asin Fig. l. Each head a I) of the case A contains on its inner side four pairs of ports, which are, on the outside of the head, provided and connected with steampipes. One pair of such ports is arranged above and below each of the abutments d e, and consists of a longer outer and shorter inner port.

The four pairs of ports are fully shown in Fig. 4, and respectively marked ff?, g g2, h h2, and fi i2. The pipes from the short ports j', y, IL, and z' are respectively marked f3, g3, h3, and i, in Fig. 3, and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, while the pipes from the long ports are marked f4, g4, 71.", and i4, respectively. It will be noticed that the pipes from the short ports re-enter the case on the same side of the abutment on which they start, while those from the long ports cross over to the opposite side of such abutments. All these said pipes from the ports communicate with the annular space c. j is a cam-groove cut into the inner face ofeach head, so that it passes between the inner and outer ports fand f2, g and g2, Src. This groove is contracted, e., brought toward the center of the case, in line with the diameter in which are the abutments, and thrown out at right angles thereto. The two heads a b are made exactly alike as regards the position and arrangement of the said ports and cam-grooves. The cylinder D contains four sliding pistons, E E, which are set in slots of the cylinder, so that they can be moved in and out in the same. They have tenons lo k at their ends, said tenons entering the cam-grooves j. The pistons will thus, by mechanical means, be radially thrown out to reach the inner circumference of the case, and divide the space c, when they stand at right angles to the abutments, and drawn in when in line with and opposite to the latter, as is clearly shown in Fig. l. The object of the steam-ports in the heads of the case is, however, to adjust the said pistons by the live steam, so that the friction of mechanical adjustment will be avoided. The cam-grooves serve, therefore, as a reliable guide to insure the proper position of the pistons. The cam-grooves serve also to moderate the motion of the pistons and prevent impact upon their inner and outer seats, which would occur if they were entirely abandoned to the pressure of steam. The outer stops of the several pistons on the cylinder D are formed by rings l l on the latter, against which shoulders on the pistons strike, as indicated in Fig.l 2. Shallow grooves m m are formed in the shoulders and inner edge of each piston, to facilitate the secured upon the case A, and provided with three ports, a, o, and p, and with a slide, G, for connecting two oi' said ports. Steam is admitted to the central port o by a pipe, r, and conveyed thence to the port a or p, with whichever the same is connected by the slide or valve G, the latter being adjusted'by a screw, H, or other mechanism. Two pipes, s and s2, lead from the port u to opposite sides ofthe case, one over the abutment d and the other under the abutment c. Two pipes, t and t2, lead from the port pto opposite sides ofthe case, one under the abutment d, the other over the abutment c. lf the port u YYis inV connection with Vo the pipes s s2Y are for steam supply, while the pipes t t2 are for the eX- haust. The reverse will be the case ifp is connected with o and n lett open to the exhaust.

The operation is as follows Steam is admitted simultaneously, through the branch-pipes s s2 or t t2, to opposite sides of the case, both said pipes piercing the case. Steam iills thus the annular spaces between the abutments and that pair of pistons already out in contact with the inner periphery of the case, and enters also the ports ofthe heads ce I), which are open to it. The steam pressure causes a rotation of the pistons and cylinder. This rotation produces the sliding motion of the pistons in the cylinder, another pair being exposed to the action of the steam whenever 011e pair is drawn in. Continuous rotation is thereby obtained. The action of the ports in the heads a bis as follows li' steam, for example', enters through the pipe s, it also enters the pipes f4 l,md g3, besides acting on the upper piston. T pipes g3 lead steam to the small port g above the abutment d, and the pipe f4 leads steam to the large port f2 under said abutment. As the space under the abutment connects with the exhaust-pipe t the steam in f4 will escape without action, while that from g3 will enter the inner shallow grooves m of the piston then in line with d and tend to force it outwardly, to come into action when above the shaft. The steam which at the same time enters by the pipe s2 passes into the pipes 3 and h4, and serves by the former to push out the piston then in contact with e. As the piston from above, however, approaches e, so as to cover part of the port h2, the pipe h4 brings live steam to act upon its shoulder for forcing it inwardly. The pipe f4 acts in the same manner upon the other piston. When the engine-is reversed by shiftin g the slide Gr the other pipes, f 3 g4 and h3 i4, will come into the stated action. By thus providing an auto matic adjustment oi' parts, without the use oi' valves or special mechanism, the friction of operation is reduced to its minimum, being occasioned only by the rotating cylinder and the sliding pistons. Friction-rollers may, if desired, be fitted upon the projecting` tenons of the sliding pistons.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The case A provided with the abntments Z c, and combined with the rotating cylinder D, sliding pist-ons E,and with the heads a b, which have the cam-grooves and four pairs ci ports, as speciiied.

2. The sliding pistons E provided with the projectin g tenons k k, and with the shallow steamgrooves m m, as set forth.

JOHN WV. BARRIGER. 

